Rail anchor applicator

ABSTRACT

A method of and rail anchor applicator for practicing the method of applying either one or two rail anchors to a rail with the anchors abutting the sides of a tie. The applicator includes magazines for holding rail anchors and positive feed means for delivering the anchors from the magazines and holding them for removal by the anchor applying means. Anchor applying shoes are adapted to remove the anchors from the feed means and apply them to a rail against opposite sides of a tie in a continuous operation. The anchors are applied and fully seated on the rail base in one operation with a minimum of ballast disturbance and a minimum of preliminary ballast excavation.

United States Patent 1 Chandre et a1.

[ RAIL ANCHOR APPLICATOR Mar. 27, 1973 Primary ExaminerDrayton E.Hoffman Assistant Examiner-Richard A. Bertsch Attomey-Parker, Carter &Markey ABSTRACT A method of and rail anchor applicator for practicingthe method of applying either one or two rail anchors to a rail with theanchors abutting the sides of a tie. The applicator includes magazinesfor holding rail anchors and positive feed means for delivering theanchors from the magazines and holding them for removal by the anchorapplying means. Anchor applying shoes are adapted to remove the anchorsfrom the feed means and apply them to a rail against opposite sides of atie in a continuous operation. The anchors are applied and fully seatedon the rail base in one operation with a minimum of ballast disturbanceand a minimum of preliminary ballast excavation.

13 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures RAIL ANCHOR APPLICATOR SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION This invention is concerned with a method of applying one ormore rail anchors to a rail and a rail anchor applicator for performingthis method and more specifically with an applicator which automaticallyapplies, attaches, and fully seats the anchors on the rail in acontinuous operation.

A primary object is a rail anchor applicator or applying machineconstructed to apply rail anchors in one 'unitary operation therebyavoiding prepositioning the anchors.

Another object is a machine of the above type which requires a minimumof preliminary ballast excavacation.

Another object is a rail anchor applicator which causes a minimum ofballast disturbance as anchors are being applied.

Another object is a rail anchor applying machine which is constructed tomove the anchors through a path that causes a minimum of ballastdisturbance.

Another object is a rail anchor applicator having positive feed meansfor supplying anchors upon demand to an anchor attachment mechanism.

Another object is a rail anchor applicator having a feed means whichpositively holds the rail anchors until they are removed by the anchorattachment means.

'Another object is a rail anchor applicator in which the attachmentmechanism holds the rail anchors in a I Another object is a rail anchorapplicator which automatically provides a backing force against the railas the anchors are applied to a rail.

Another object is a rail anchor feed mechanism which isself clearing inthe event of jamming;

Another object is a rail anchor feed mechanism having a shock absorbermounting. I

Another'object is a rail anchor feed mechanism that may be'easilymodified to handle various types of rail anchors. I g a Another objectisfan. applicator which positions the anchors firmly against the sidesof a tie prior to the anchors being attached to the base of the rail.

Another object isa rail anchor applicator in which the tooling thatapplies the anchorsiis constructed and mounted soas to be easily andquickly changed so that the machine will accommodate different anchorswithout any great delay or expense.

Another object "is a simplified control for a rail anchor applyingmachine so that the operator has a single lever control of the anchor.applying mechanism.

Another objectis to'olingffor a rail anchor applicator which does notrequire that the ballast be excavated from under .the base of the railprior to applying anchors. r v

Another object is a control system for an anchor applying machine of theabove type in which the operators control isarranged to simulate themovement of the tooling a Another object is a rail anchor applyingmachine which will automatically compensate or adjust or accommodateitself to different widths of ties without requiring any physicaladjustment of the machine itself.

Other objects may befound in the following specification, claims anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of arail anchor applying machine embodying the novel featuresof thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a partial end elevational view of the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the machine ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 showing the railanchor applicator in its anchor loading position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the rail anchorapplicator applying an anchor to a rail;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of the rail anchor magazineand feeding mechanism;

FIG. 7 is a partial end elevational view of the magazine and feedingmechanism of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the mechanism of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a view taken along line: 9-9 of FIG. 6 on an enlarged scaleand showing a modified form of rail anchor magazine;

FIG. 10 is a partial side elevational view of a rail anchor holdingmechanism;

' FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of the mechanism of FIG. 10;

FIG. I2 is a partial top plan view of the mechanism of FIG. 10; q I FIG.13 is a partial top plan view of the rail anchor applicator mechanism; I

FIG. 14 is a partial end elevational view of the mechanism of FIG. 13 onan enlarged scale;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged detail of the mechanism of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a partial front elevational view of the rail anchorapplicator mechanism of this invention;

;FIG. ,17 is a top plan view of the rail anchor shoe of i this inventionholding a railanchor;

FIG. 18 is a partial side elevationalview ofthe sho of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a top plan view showing the engagement of the rail anchorshoe with the rail anchor holding mechanism;

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of a part of the hydraulic circuitry ofthe rail anchor applicator of this I invention; and FIG. 21 is aschematic representation of the path followed by the rail anchorapplicator operating lever.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT wheels 271are attached to theends of each shaft. The

wheels are adapted to ride onrails 29 which are set on tie plates 31attached to ties 33 in a conventional manner.

A sprocket 35 is fixed on each shaft 27. The sprockets each receive achain (not shown) which connects to a mechanical or hydraulictransmission (not shown) driven by a diesel or gasoline engine 37 whichis supported on channels 39 mounted on the frame 21. A platform 41 isalso mounted on the frame 21 and a chair 43 is supported on theplatform. Posts 45 mounted on the frame 21 support a roof 47.

A rail anchor storage bin 48 may be mounted on outboard legs 49 andshorter inboard legs 51 (FIG. 3). The legs 51 attach to the top of aninverted U-shaped support 52 which is mounted on the frame 21. Theinboard wall 53 of the rail anchor storage bin is shorter in height thanthe other walls of the bin and the side walls 55 are cut away adjacentthe front wall 53 to allow access to the rail anchors stored in the bin.

A crane 57 is mounted on the frame 21 and is equipped with a hand leveroperated winch 59. This crane has an arm 61 which may be swung over therail anchor storage bin 48 for lifting containers of rail anchors fromthe right-of-way and dumping the anchors into the bin.

Hydraulic and fuel oil storage tanks 63 and 65 are located on the frame21 outboard of the operator's chair. A conventional hydraulicallyoperated turntable 67 for lifting the machine on and off the tracks isprovided.

One of the pair of rail anchor feeding mechanisms is shown in detail inFIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. The other feeding mechanism may be identicalexcept that it is oriented to face in the opposite direction. Forbrevity, only the rail anchor feeding mechanism shown on the left inFIG. 1 will be discussed in detail. The feeding mechanism includes amagazine which is a flat, metal plate 79 inclined to the vertical. Railanchors 81 are positioned on this plate by one of the machine operatorsin the manner shown in FIG. 7. The plate has a step 83 located at theupper edge of the lower end thereof. A notched portion 85 is cut out ofthe lower edge of this plate below the step.

Positioned at the lower end of the magazine plate 79 is a gate 87mounted on a pivot pin 89 which is supported on a bracket 91. The gateincludes an anchor support plate 93 and an anchor stop plate 95. Theanchor support plate is notched at 97 to mate with the notched portion85 of the magazine plate 79 in the manner shown in FIG. 6. Each magazineplate 79 is welded or otherwise secured to a three sides bracket 99which is bolted to an angle iron 100, one for each magazine. Each angleiron is welded to a block 101 which can pivot about rod 102. Rod 102 isjoumaled in block 103 which is welded to a vertical angle iron 104. Theangle iron 104 forms one leg of the inverted U- shaped support 52.

A bent arm 105 is secured in a tubular member 106 which in turn isconnected to a rod 107. The rod 107 is fastened to block l09 which iswelded to an outer edge of the anchor stop plate 95. As can be best seenin FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the bent arm 105 extends over the top of themagazine plate 79 to engage and hold the rail anchors 81 positioned onthe magazine plate. This arm has an end portion 110 which extendsdownwardly along the side of the plate 79. The end is particularlyuseful with the modified form of magazine shown in FIG. 9 in which anauxiliary plate 111 is attached to the plate 79 by means of hangers 112which fit into rectangular slots 113 formed in the plate 79. Themodified plate 111 has a rod shaped guide surface 114. This modifiedform of magazine may be used with rail anchors of the Woodings or Unittype.

A discharge chute 115 is provided for each magazine. Each chute may berectangular in cross section and defines a generally L-shaped path. Eachchute is connected at its upper end to angle irons 100. Near their lowerends, the chutes are supported on the frame 21 and are attached theretoby flexible spring biased connections 1 19. It will be noted that eachchute is free to pivot somewhat about rod 102 at its upper endseparately from the other chute. And each chute has its own independentspring mounting 119 toward the lower end. Thus, in use, if either chuteis contacted or struck in use by any moving object, for example the railanchor applying tools to be described in detail later, it may flex oryield or give independently of the other. The spring mounting 119 may bepositioned between brackets 120 to properly guide the lower portion ofthe chute' and hold it in place during any such movement. Each chute hasa top opening 121, an intermediate access opening 123 and a bottom ordischarge opening 125. The bottom opening is closed by doors 131 whichwill be described in detail later. The top opening 121 of each chute mayhave a deflector 132, shown in FIG. 7, for example, at the upper end ofthe chute which insures that the anchor goes down the chute in theproper orientation or disposition and prevents the anchor from gettingstuck sideways in the chute or bouncing around excessively. With certaintypes of anchors, such a deflector may not be necessary and it will bynoted that it has been removably mounted on the chute.

A gate actuating arm 133 is pivotally mounted on the top of each chuteat 135. A spring biased rod 137 mounted on the chute l 15 urges theactuating arm in a downwardly direction. A follower arm 139 is pivotallyconnected at one end to the actuating arm and at its other end to a stubarm 141 which is fastened to the gate 87 to bring about pivotal movementof the gate about the pivot pin 89 upon movement of the actuating arm133. I

The doors 131 closing the bottom of the chute 115 are shown in detail inFIGS. 10, 11, 12 and 19. Each door is connected to the side of the chute115 by a pivotal connection 151. A spring 153 extending between thedoors at the top thereof biases the doors toward each other. Each doorincludes an end member 155 located at the outer end thereof. Each endmember has a straight vertical inner wall 157 and a vertical beveledouter wall 159. A sloping anchor support sur- 187. The bearing blocksare guided in slots 189 formed in brackets 191 attached to the frame 21of the machine. A spring biased plate 193 with stub shaft 194 urges theshaft 185 in the direction of the hooklike ends of the elongated arms. Aplate 195 is attached to the arms 181 and extends from the shaft 185 toterminate in contact with channel member 199 which extends between thearms. A second channel member 201 extends parallel to and oppositelyfacing to the channel member 199. An upstanding plate 203 connects tothe inner webs of the channel members and a piston rod 205 is pivotallyconnected to this plate. The piston rod extends from a hydrauliccylinder 207 which is pivotally connected at its upper end to avertically slidable support 209. The slidable support is mounted betweenchannel members 211 which extend between and are connected to thevertical legs of the inverted U- shaped support 52. Bolts 213 extendinto the channel members 211 to guide and limit the movement of thehydraulic cylinder support 209.

The elongated arms 181 also have upwardly extending hooklike ends'225which are connected to a shaft 227 extending therebetween. Pivotallymounted on this shaft and located between the arms 181 are guide supportarms 229. Piston rods 231 are pivotally connected to the lower portionof the guide support arms 229.

These piston rods extend from hydraulic cylinders 233 which arepivotally connected at 234 to the arms 181. The arms 229 are attached toand support guide member 235. The guide member 235 has a downwardlyfacing groove 239 of rectangular cross section formed therein. Plate 241and plate 243 overlap portions of the groove and are bolted to the guidemember 235. Brackets 245 are attached to slides 247 which move in thegroove 239. A hydraulic cylinder 249 is connected to the outside of oneof the brackets 245 and a piston rod 251 extends through this bracket toconnect to the other bracket 245. Slots 253 are formed in the outeredges of the slides 247 to receive and engage stop pins 255 mounted inthe guide member 235.

Attached to each bracket 245 is a rail anchor applicator or so-calledtooling 257. It will be noted in FIG. 16 that the applicators are rightand lefthand or mirror images of each other. Each tool has spaced upperfingers 259 and 261 and a lower outboard finger 263 which is adapted tofit under one side and contact the lower surface of the railanehor topplate for a substantial extent, as at 263a, w th the side surface of thelower finger 263 contacting the side of the flange of the rail anchor asat 263b for a substantial distance. A de tent 265 pivoted at 266 betweenthe upper fingers of the tooling is positioned between the upper fingersand has a serrated lower surface 2660. A spring 267 in a cage orretainer 268 which straddles the detent 265 and is mounted on the topsof the upper fingers engages the detent 265 and biases it in a downwarddirection, as in FIG. 18. Each shoe has a rear stop wall 269 and a lowerinclined wall 271. It will be noted that the rear of each tool isprovided with a bifurcation straddling the bracket 245 with removablepins 272 holding the tooling in place. The object of this is that whenthe machine is used with a different rail anchor, the tooling may bequickly and easily changed without having to dismantle a substantialpart or any major components of the unit.

An adjustable rail height gauge mechanism 281, shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and5, includes a bolt 283 which threads through a block 285. The bolt has ahead 287 covered with a disc 289 of resilient material which contactsthe top of the rail. The bolt is secured in position relative to theblock by a nut 291. The block is fastened between a pair of brackets 293which in turn are fastened to an angle iron 295 extending between andfastened to the arms 181.

The hydraulic system for operating the rail anchor applicator of thisinvention is shown schematically in FIG. 20. This system includes areservoir 311 and a pump 313 which draws hydraulic fluid from thereservoir and supplies it to the hydraulic cylinders 207, 233 and 249.The flow of hydraulic fluid between the pump and the cylinders iscontrolled by a directional control valve 315. This valve may be of theconventional sliding spool type and is operated by a control lever 317which moves the spool against a spring 319. The lever 317 is manipulatedby an operator through a backward C-shaped path 321 (FIG. 21) to movethe valve 315 and thereby operate the rail anchor applicator.

A conduit 323 extends between the directional control valve 315 and thepiston side of the hydraulic cylinder 207 which moves the elongated arms181. A conduit 325 extends from the rod side of the cylinder 207 back tothe directional control valve. A holding valve 327 is positioned in theconduits 323 and 325 between the control valve 315 and the cylinder 207.A pilot pressure operated valve 329 is located in the conduit 323between the control valve 315 and the piston side of the cylinder 207. Apressure operated sequence valve 331 is located in the conduit 325between the rod side of the cylinder 207 and the control valve 315.

A conduit 333 connects to the conduit 323 and runs to the piston side ofthe hydraulic cylinders 233 which move the guide support arms 229. Apressure operated sequence valve 335 and a flow regulator valve 337 arepositioned in series in this conduit.

A conduit 339 connects to conduit 333 between the sequence valve 335 andthe flow regulator valve 337 and leads to the rod side of the railanchor shoe cylinder 249. Positioned in this conduit are a cam operatedvalve 341 and a pilot pressure operated valve 343. The cam operatedvalve 341 is actuated by a cam 345 which is carried on piston rod 231 ofone of the cylinders 233 with the cam 345 engaging a cam follower 347attached to the valve. A conduit 349 leads from the piston side of thecylinder 249 back to the conduit 325. A conduit 351 leads from the rodsides of the cylinders 233 and connects to the conduit 349. A conduit353 connects to the conduit 351 and leads to the conduit 349. A pressureoperated sequence valve 355 is positioned in the conduit 353. Aregenerative circuit 357 connects the piston and rod sides of thecylinders 233.

The pilot pressure operated valves 329 and 343 are connected through apilot pressure conduit 359 to a pump 361. A relief valve 362 is providedfor the pump. The flow of pilot fluid between the pump, the reservoir311 and the pilot fluid line 359 is controlled by cam operated valve 363having a cam follower 365 which is operated by the operation of thelever 317.

' While the description has been phrased in terms of a particular railanchor and the drawings show tooling which concerns itself primarilywith and includes a showing of a particular rail anchor, commonly knownas a Fair" anchor, it should be understood that certain aspects orfeatures of the invention are not limited to any particular type, styleor description of anchor but will be applicable to a large number ofdifferent anchors now on the market. This is not to say, however, thatcertain features or aspects of the machine and the invention embodied init are not more applicable to one type of anchor than another. But in asense the invention should be considered broadly in most respects,without regard to the details of any particular type of anchor.

The use, operation and function of this invention are as follows:

The rail anchor applicator of this invention is shown, for purposes ofillustration, for use with rail anchors of the type known as the Fairrail anchor. A rail anchor 81 of this type (FIG. 18) is generallyJ-shaped having a pointed crest 301 on the curved portion of the J. Theanchor also has a laterally extending base 303 also of J shape along theinner portion thereof and an outstanding flange 304 with the baseengaging the base of the rail in the manner shown in FIG. 5. Thisapplicator may be adapted for use with other types of rail anchors andthe magazine modification shown in FIG. 9 of the drawings isspecifically adapted for use with other types of rail anchors.Therefore, it should be understood that the method of this inventionshould not be limited to the use of a single type of rail anchor or tothe specific embodiment of the apparatus shown herein.

Rail anchors are usually applied on each side of a tie 33 and thisapplicator is designed for simultaneous installation of two such anchorsin this manner, although it may be used to apply one at a time. However,if it is desired to only install a single anchor on one side of a tie,this can easily be accomplished by not supplying a rail anchor to one ofthe applicator shoes or tools. A supply of rail anchors is loaded in thehopper 48 shown in FIG. 1 through use of the crane 57 One of theoperators takes the anchors from the bin 48 and hangs them on themagazine plates 79 in the manner shown in FIG. 7. The anchors will slidedownwardly towards the bottom of the magazines until they are engagedand stopped by the bent arms 105 which are mounted on the gates 87. g

In initially loading a magazine, one anchor is allowed past the bent arm105 to position itself on the anchor support plate 93 of the gate 87. Itshould be noted that the top of this gate is lower than the top of themagazine plate 79 to allow the anchor to clear the bent arm 105. Whenthe actuating arm 133 of the rail anchor feed mechanism is moveddownwardly from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position of FIG. 5,the gate 87 will pivot about its pivot rod 89 to dump an anchor 81 intoits rail anchor supply chute 115. As the gate rotates in acounterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5, the bent arm 105will be moved clear of the top of the magazine plate 79 allowing theanchors 81 to slide down the magazine to a position just above the step83. When in this position, the anchors will engage and be stopped by theedge of the anchor support plate 93. The spacing between the bent armand the edge of the anchor support plate is such that only one anchorwill move into position downwardly of the bent arm. Upon return of thegate to the position shown in FIG. 4, the bent arm will return to itsanchor blocking position while the anchor located on the magazinedownwardly of the bent arm will drop onto the step 83 and slide intoposition on the anchor support plate 93 where it is engaged and stoppedby the anchor stop plate 95. Thus, during each complete movement of thegate only one rail anchor will be fed onto the gate.

After leaving the gate 87, the rail anchor slides down the chute 115,turns the corner in the chute and reaches the bottom of the chuteoriented in the manner shown in FIG. 10. The anchor comes to rest withthe curved portion of the base 303 engaging the stop walls 157 of thegates 131. The sloping support surfaces 161 on the doors engage theundersides of the base 303. The floor 163 supports the end of theanchors flange 304 with the rest of the flange 304 positioned in thespace between the gates. The gates are held in contact with the anchorby the spring 153.

When one of the anchor applicator shoes 257 is moved into contact withthe gates in the manner shown in FIG. 19, the cammed surface of thefinger 263 of the applicator shoe engages the beveled surface 159 of oneof the gates to spread the gates apart. Then, the detent 265 rides overthe peak or point 301 of the rail anchor. Since the tooling will tend topush the anchor to the left in FIG. 10, stop 165 will engage the leftend of the anchor to prevent it from getting away. The detent 265 ridesover the point 301 until the curve of the flange engages the stop wall302. The lower finger 263 in the meantime is sliding under the base 303of the anchor and both the top and side surfaces of the finger arefirmly engaging the bottom surface of the base 303 and the side surfaceof the flange 304. Thus the anchor is firmly held by the tooling in athree point suspension, first, the point 301 by the detent finger 265;second, the rear wall 302 engaging the curved flange; and, third, thedouble wall contact of the lower finger 263 under the base 303 andagainst the side of the flange 304 of the anchor. As the toolingwithdraws from between the gates, the spring detent 267 holds the point301 so that the anchor comes out with the tooling. After the tooling andanchor depart, the doors move back to the FIG. 12 position in readinessfor another anchor to come down the chute.

The tooling removes the rail anchor from between the doors 131 when theapparatus is in the position shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. As theapplicator moves to the anchor applying position, which is shown in FIG.5, the horizontally extending shaft 227 connect ing the arms 181 islowered by cylinder 207 allowing the rail anchor feed actuating arms 133to be moved downwardly by the spring mechanisms 137. As these arms movedownwardly, the push rods 139 are actuated to operate the gates 87 tosupply rail anchors to the rail anchor chutes in the manner previouslydescribed.

The actual application of the anchors to the rail takes urging the hooks183 of the arms 181 outwardly and away from the rail. As the arms andshoes move down towards the rail and tie, the rail height gauge 281contacts the top of the rail 29 limiting downward movement of the arms181. It is not necessary to adjust the amount of extension of piston rod205 from the hydraulic cylinder 207 for each adjustment of the gauge281, because of the floating connection of the hydraulic cylinder 207 tothe channel irons 211 at 209. Due to this floating connection, continuedextension of the rod 205 will merely result in movement of the pivotalconnection 209 of the hydraulic cylinder upwardly along the guide bolts203 thus averting over pressure in the cylinder and over stressing ofthe arms 181.

When the adjustable gauge 281 contacts the rail, the curved ends 183 ofthe arms will be positioned slightly outwardly of the rail 29 and belowthe base flange of the rail. The applicator shoes will be aligned withthe base flange of the rail. The hydraulic cylinder 249 will slide theapplicator shoes towards each other in the guide member 235 to positionthe rail anchors 81 against the sides'of the tie 33. Further extensionof piston rod 231 will move the applicator shoes 257 into the positionshown in FIG. in which the rail anchors will be snapped over the baseflange of the rail. It should be noted in FIG. 5 that the rail anchorswill be moved along the path, designated A, which is more or lessarcuate about the pivot 227 inward and toward the base of the rail andinvolving a minimum of excursion into the ballast. It will be noted thatthe tooling does not project below the rail anchor itself to anyperceptible degree so it is only the physical dimensions of the railanchor itself which determine the amount of ballast which will have tobe disturbed. The path of movement, shown in this case as more or lessarcuate, insures that neither the tooling nor the rail anchor itselfwill disturb the ballast to any perceptible extent. And this path alsoinsures that the ballast does not have to be preliminarily excavatedbefore the anchor can be inserted and attached to the rail base. Notethat the pivot point 227 is more or less directly above the rail. Thismeans that the low point of path A occurs at approximately the same timethat the rail anchor is being applied to the rail base. As theapplicator shoes attach the rail anchors to the rail, the curved ends183 of the arms1 81 will be moved toward the shoes and into contact withthe rail by the hydraulic cylinder 233 acting against the arms 181 andcompressing the spring means 193.

Upon removal of the applicator shoes from the rail to the position shownin FIG. 4, the detents 265 of the shoes will be forced upwardly,releasing the anchors and leaving them attached to the rail. Theoperator is then ready to move the machine to the next tie where theforegoing operation may be repeated.

The flexible mounting of the rail anchor chutes 115 compensates for anyovertravel of the shoes 257 when they engage the doors 131 to pick upthe rail anchors 81. Excess force applied by the shoes will merely causethe chute to pivot about rod 102 and thereby compress the spring of itsflexible mounting means 119. Upon withdrawal of the shoes, the chutewill be returned to its normal position by the flexible mounting means.The flexible mounting permits the shoes to be used to jar the dischargechutes to assist in clearing a chute in the event an anchor becomesstuck.

The operation of the rail anchor applicator is controlled bymanipulation of the control lever 317 along its backward C-shaped path321. To start a cycle of operation, the control lever 317 is located inposition 1 in the upper left hand corner of the backward C-shaped path,as viewed in FIG. 21. When the handle is moved to position 1, the spoolof valve 315 will be moved so that hydraulic fluid will be directed fromthe pump 313 into the conduit 323. The pilot flluid valve 363 will becammed to its reservoir 311 blocking position allowing pilot hydraulicfluid from pump 361 to close the valves 329 and 343. The closing ofvalves 329 and 343 will prevent the flow of hydraulic fluid to or fromcylinders 207 and 249.

The hydraulic fluid delivered into conduit 323 will move into conduit333 and upon a build up of pressure will open the pressure operatedsequence valve 335. Upon opening of the sequence valve 335, hydraulicfluid will pass through the fluid regulator valve 337 and enter. thepiston sides of the hydraulic cylinders 233. The rods 231 of thesecylinders will be extended in the manner shown in FIG. 4, moving theanchor applicator shoes 257 into contact with the gates 131 to pick uprail anchors 81. Although the cam operated valve 341 will open uponextension of the piston rods 231, no fluid will pass to the shoecylinder 249 because the valve 343 is closed. Therefore, the rail anchorapplicator shoes 257 will remain spaced apart at their maximum spacing,as shown in FIG. 16.

To apply the rail anchors 81 being held in the shoes 257 to the rail,the operator will move the operating lever 317 to position 2 in the path32]. Movement of the operating lever will move the spool valve 315through its neutral position for directing hydraulic fluid from the pump313 into the conduit 325. With the control lever 317 in this position,the pilot fluid valve 363 will remain cammed in its reservoir closingposition, thereby maintaining valves 329 and 343 in their closedpositions. Because the sequence valve 331 is closed, the hydraulic fluidwill travel from the conduit 325, into the conduit 351 and into the rodsides of the hydraulic cylinders 233, causing the cylinder rods 231 toretract. Retraction of these cylinder. rods will move the rail anchorshoes 257 out of the rail anchor holding gates 131.

Upon complete retraction of the piston rods 231, the operating lever 317is moved to position 3 in path 321. In the movement of the lever 317from position 2 to position 3, the spool of valve 315 remains in itslowered position, but the cam valve 363 is moved from its reservoirblocking position to its reservoir opening position thereby eliminatingpilot pressure in the conduit 359 and opening the valves 329 and 343.

The operating lever 317 is then moved to position 4 in the path 321.Movement of the lever 317 to this position moves the spool of valve 315to its uppermost position. Hydraulic fluid is directed from the pump 313into the conduit 323, through the open valve 329, through the holdingvalve 327 and into the piston side of the hydraulic cylinder 207. Thepiston rod of this cylinder is extended and the elongated arms 181 aremoved downwardly.

The holding valve 327 controls the flow of hydraulic fluid out of thehydraulic cylinder 207 to prevent the fluid from escaping from the rodside faster than it is supplied to the piston side by the pump 313. Ifthis occurred, the weight of the piston, its rod and the elongated arms181 would, in effect, cause the piston to run away from the pump.

When the piston rod of cylinder 207 is fully extended, the hydraulicpressure will build up in conduit 323 and upon reaching a set pressure,will open sequence valve 335. Upon opening of sequence valve 335,hydraulic fluid will flow through the regulator valve 337 to the pistonsides of hydraulic cylinders 233, moving the piston rods 231 to theirextended positions. As the piston rods 231 extend out of the hydrauliccylinders 233, the cam 345 will move relative to the cam follower 347,moving the valve 341 to its open position. The opening of valve 341 willdirect the flow of hydraulic fluid through conduit 339 and valve 343 tothe rod side of hydraulic cylinder 249, moving the piston rod 251 to itsretracted position. Thus, as the piston rods 231 move the shoes 257carrying the rail anchors 81 into the rail engaging position, the pistonrod 251 of the cylinder 249 is moving the shoes 257 together to aposition where the rail anchors will contact the sides of a tie 33.Because of the coordination of movement of the piston rods 231 and 251,the rail anchors will be attached to the rail right after they engagethe sides of a tie 33.

After the rail anchors 81 are attached to the rail, the operating lever317 is returned to position 3 on path 321. The spool of valve 315 ismoved to its lower position in which hydraulic fluid from the pump 313is directed into conduit 325. The hydraulic fluid passes from conduit325, into conduit 351 and to the rod sides of hydraulic cylinders 233,bringing about the retraction of piston rods 231 and the removal ofshoes 257 from the rail. When the piston rods 231 have fully retracted,pressure will increase in conduit 351 until the pressure operatedsequence valve 331 is opened. Upon opening of valve 331, hydraulic fluidwill pass through the conduit 325 to the rod side of the hydrauliccylinder 207, bringing about retraction of the piston rod of thiscylinder. Retraction of the piston rod will lift the elongated arms 181.When the piston rod of hydraulic cylinder 207 is fully retracted,hydraulic pressure will increase in the conduits 325 and 351 until thepressure operated sequence valve 355 is opened.

When sequence valve 355 is opened, hydraulic fluid will be directed tothe piston side of the hydraulic cylinder 249, extending piston rod 251.Extension of piston rod 251 will spread the shoes 257 apart to theirmaximum position shown in FIG. 16. It should be noted that because ofthe arrangement of the sequence valves that the shoes 257 will notspread apart until the piston rod of cylinder 207 is fully retracted andthe arms 181 are in their uppermost position.

Movement of the operating lever 317 to position 2 of the operating path321 will move the cam operated valve 363 to the pilot pressure onposition thereby closing valves 329 and 343. The lever 317 is then readyto be moved back to position 1 for another cycle of operation.

The cam 345, or whatever mechanism is used to perform this function, maybe adjustably mounted on piston rod 231'so that the proper sequencingand timing of the various movements may be properly coordinated. it ispreferred that the tooling move down from the FIG. 4 position with thetools spread as in FIG. 16. This should then be followed by a closingmovement of the tools until the rail anchors, held in the tools, contactopposite sides of the tie 33. A mild squeeze should be applied so thatthe rail anchors are snug against the sides of the tie. Then cylinder233 should move the rail anchors further along are A until they aresnapped on and fully seated on the rail base. During at least the lastportion of movement along are A the anchor should be infirm but easycontact with the side of the ties so that they will be snug but will notresist further inward movement. Ballast conditions may determine whetherthe rail anchors contact the sides of the ties earlier or later alongarc A. But it should be prior to the rail anchor contacting the railbase, in any event. Proper positioning of the cam 345, shownschematically in FIG. 20, will accomplish this. This precise sequence ofmovement is important so that, first, the rail anchors will be in firmcontact with the sides of the tie; second, nothing excessive so thatthey dont resist inward movement; and, third, so that as they areapplied theyremain in firm contact with the sides of the tie.

Whereas various parts and features have been shown in particularlocations and with particular arrangements, it should be understood thatthe invention is not restricted in this respect. For example, while theengine 37 has been shown in a particular location and oriented in aparticular direction, it should be understood that this is of noparticular concern and it might be changed to accommodate anotherarrangement. Likewise, the location and orientation of the fuel tank 65is flexible and it might be otherwise. In one model now currently underdevelopment, the operator seat 43 has been moved tov the far left inFIG. 2 so that the operator is closer to and has a better view of theanchors being applied. While the winch 59 has been shown as ahandoperated unit, it should be understood that it could be ingstructure'and hopper arrangement may not be necessary or desirable, andthat entire arrangement may be removed without changing or altering thebasics of the rail anchor applying principles centered around thetooling. in such a situation one man must walk along beside the machineand drop rail anchors, one at a time, into the entry ports 123 so thatthey will slide down in between the doors 131.

The machine has the advantage that the anchors are picked up'and appliedall in one motion. There is no necessity for one machine to pre-positionthe anchors on the rail base and another machine to drive them home.Further, the anchors are moved in flush and tight against opposite sidesof the tie. Also, the machine can be used to apply one rail anchor at atime, in which case that rail anchor would be moved in tight and snugagainst the side of the tie. The so-called side squeeze mechanism whichmoves either one or two rail anchors in tight against the side of a tieautomatically accommodates itself to various widths of ties. And thereis no need to adjust the machine when the tie widths change. The machinecan be used either in a rail gang or a tie gang. There is a minimum of aballast disturbance factor and the tooling is designed to hold theanchor on the outside so that the ballast disturbance is determinedstrictly by the dimensions of the rail anchor itself and not thetooling. And a minimum, if any, ballast needs to be excavated ahead oftime. The single lever control for the operator as explained inconnection with FIGS. and 21 has the advantage that the lever movementsimulates or duplicates the movement of the tooling back and forthbetween anchor loading and anchor applying position. This means thecontrol is the essence of simplicity and requires a minimum of operatoreducation and experience.

The tooling itself can be quickly and easily changed as explained inconnection with the removable pins 272 when a different anchor is to beapplied. In this connection, the doors 131 at the bottom of the chutemight also need to be changed for different anchors. And it will benoted the doors are also quickly and easily removable.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

ll. A rail anchor applicator including a rail anchor feeding means forsupplying a rail anchor to and holding said rail anchor in apredetermined position, and a rail anchor attachment means adapted toremove a rail anchor from said feeding means and to fully apply it to arail in one motion, a pair of doors for stopping and holding anchors inthe predetermined position, a spring biasing said doors toward a closedposition, and means on the doors to engage and support a rail anchordeposited therein when said doors are in their closed positions, saiddoors being formed and adapted to receive said rail anchor attachmentmeans and to release said rail anchor to said rail anchor attachmentmeans.

2. In a machine for applying rail anchors to the rails of railroadtrack, including a frame adapted to be moved along the railroad track, afeeding mechanism on the frame for supplying rail anchors, one at atime, to a loading position, and means for grasping the anchor in theloading position and moving it through a generally arcuate path towardthe rail about a center generally above the rail so that the bottom ofthe arcuate path will coincide generally with the rail base to fullyapply the anchor to the rail base with a minimum of ballast disturbancein one motion, the grasping means including tooling which automaticallyengages and picks up rail anchors from the feeding mechanism and isconstructed and arranged so that it does not extend below the railanchor when it is applied to the rail base.

3. The structure of claim 2 further characterized in that the loadingposition is generally above the rail and further characterized in thatthe grasping means grasps the anchor in the above rail loading position,lowers it to a position to one side of the rail and thereafter appliesit in a generally arcuate path of movement down by the rail base.

4. The structure of claim 2 further characterized in that the graspingmeans for applying the rail anchor to the rail base is yieldablyconnected to the frame so that any reactive thrust occasioned by therail anchor applying feature will not tend to derail or damage themachine.

5. Tooling for applying rail anchors to the base of the rail in railroadtrack, the rail anchor being of the socalled Fair type which isgenerally T-shaped in cross section and has an elongated leg that fitsunder the rail base with a hooked portion at one end to fit around oneedge of the rail base, the T-shaped cross section being composed of acrosspiece base with an outstanding flange and the hooked portion havingan upper point, the tooling including a pair of spaced apart upperfingers adapted to straddle the upper point of the hooked portion, adetent between the fingers to releasably engage the point, a rearabutting surface adapted to engage and position the outstanding flangeof the anchor at the curved hooked portion, and a lower offset guidingfinger adapted to fit on one side of the rail anchor in firm engagementwith the lower surface of the crosspiece base and the side surface ofthe flange, the fingers, rear abutting surface and offset guidingfingers all being rigidly interconnected.

6. The structure of claim 5 further characterized by and including meansfor detachably connecting the tooling to an operating mechanism of anautomatic rail anchor applying machine.

7. The structure of claim 5 further characterized in that the loweroffset guiding finger is dimensioned so that it does not extend belowthe flange of the rail anchors elongated leg thereby reducing ballastdisturbance.

8. Tooling for applying rail anchors to the base of the rail in railroadtrack, the rail anchor being of the socalled Fair type which isgenerally T-shaped in crosssection and has an elongated leg that fitsunder the rail base with a hooked portion at one end to fit around oneedge of the rail base, the T-shaped cross-section being composed of acrosspiece base with an outstanding flange and the hooked portion havingan upper point, the tooling including at least one [lower offset,generally horizontal guiding finger adapted to fit on one side of therail anchor in firm engagement with the lower surface of the crosspiecebase, a rear generally vertical abutting surface adapted to engage andposition the outstanding flange of the anchor at the curved hookedportion, spaced generally parallel, generally vertical stabilizingsurfaces adapted to fit on each side of the outstanding flange, and adetent on top to releasably engage the point, the guiding finger,vertical abutting surface and stabilizing surfaces all being rigidlyinterconnected.

9. The structure of claim 8 further characterized in that thestabilizing surfaces include a pair of spaced apart upper fingersadapted to straddle the upper point of the hooked portion.

10. In a machine for applying rail anchors to the rails of railroadtrack, a frame adapted to be moved along the railroad track, a chute onthe frame for guiding anchors by gravity to a supply station at thelower end of the chute, a gate on the chute at the supply stationconstructed to yieldably and releasably hold a rail anchor inpredetermined position, an anchor attaching mechanism on the frameconstructed to enter the gate to pick up a rail anchor at the supplystation and to apply it to the base of the rail, and means causing thegate to automatically open and release an anchor positioned in thesupply station in response to entrance of the anchor attaching mechanisminto the gate.

11. The structure of claim further characterized in that the gateincludes a pair of pivoted doors with camming surfaces on the frontthereof responsive to entrance of the attaching means and constructed topivot apart allowing the attaching means to engage and pick up the railanchor positioned between the doors.

12. In a machine for applying rail anchors to the base flange ofrailroad track, a device for grasping rail anchors and applying them ina lateral motion to the rail base, a hydraulic circuit for moving thedevice through a predetermined coordinate of movements, including meansfor moving the device from an elevated position down to a positionadjacent the edge of the rail base offset laterally somewhat to oneside, means for moving the device longitudinally until the rail anchorengages the side of a tie, and automatic means for moving the devicelaterally inwardly to apply the rail anchor to the rail base in responseto a predetermined amount of longitudinal pressure between the anchorand side of the tie and for maintaining such pressure therebetweenduring the lateral movement resulting in the rail anchor being in firmcontact with the side of the tie after it is applied to the rail base.

13. The structure of claim 12 further characterized by and including asingle handle control constructed to be moved through a predeterminedpath in controlling and operating the hydraulic circuit which simulatesthe path of movement of the device when it is applying rail anchors tothe rail base.

1. A rail anchor applicator including a rail anchor feeding means forsupplying a rail anchor to and holding said rail anchor in apredetermined position, and a rail anchor attachment means adapted toremove a rail anchor from said feeding means and to fully apply it to arail in one motion, a pair of doors for stopping and holding anchors inthe predetermined position, a spring biasing said doors toward a closedposition, and means on the doors to engage and support a rail anchordeposited therein when said doors are in their closed positions, saiddoors being formed and adapted to receive said rail anchor attachmentmeans and to release said rail anchor to said rail anchor attachmentmeans.
 2. In a machine for applying rail anchors to the rails ofrailroad track, including a frame adapted to be moved along the railroadtrack, a feeding mechanism on the frame for supplying rail anchors, oneat a time, to a loading position, and means for grasping the anchor inthe loading position and moving it through a generally arcuate pathtoward the rail about a center generally above the rail so that thebottom of the arcuate path will coincide generally with the rail base tofully apply the anchor to the rail base with a minimum of ballastdisturbance in one motion, the grasping means including tooling whichautomatically engages and picks up rail anchors from the feedingmechanism and is constructed and arranged so that it does not extendbelow the rail anchor when it is applied to the rail base.
 3. Thestructure of claim 2 further characterized in that the loading positionis generally above the rail and further characterized in that thegrasping means grasps the anchor in the above rail loading position,lowers it to a position to one side of the rail and thereafter appliesit in a generally arcuate path of movement down by the rail base.
 4. Thestructure of claim 2 further characterized in that the grasping meansfor apPlying the rail anchor to the rail base is yieldably connected tothe frame so that any reactive thrust occasioned by the rail anchorapplying feature will not tend to derail or damage the machine. 5.Tooling for applying rail anchors to the base of the rail in railroadtrack, the rail anchor being of the so-called ''''Fair'''' type which isgenerally T-shaped in cross section and has an elongated leg that fitsunder the rail base with a hooked portion at one end to fit around oneedge of the rail base, the T-shaped cross section being composed of acrosspiece base with an outstanding flange and the hooked portion havingan upper point, the tooling including a pair of spaced apart upperfingers adapted to straddle the upper point of the hooked portion, adetent between the fingers to releasably engage the point, a rearabutting surface adapted to engage and position the outstanding flangeof the anchor at the curved hooked portion, and a lower offset guidingfinger adapted to fit on one side of the rail anchor in firm engagementwith the lower surface of the crosspiece base and the side surface ofthe flange, the fingers, rear abutting surface and offset guidingfingers all being rigidly interconnected.
 6. The structure of claim 5further characterized by and including means for detachably connectingthe tooling to an operating mechanism of an automatic rail anchorapplying machine.
 7. The structure of claim 5 further characterized inthat the lower offset guiding finger is dimensioned so that it does notextend below the flange of the rail anchor''s elongated leg therebyreducing ballast disturbance.
 8. Tooling for applying rail anchors tothe base of the rail in railroad track, the rail anchor being of theso-called Fair type which is generally T-shaped in cross-section and hasan elongated leg that fits under the rail base with a hooked portion atone end to fit around one edge of the rail base, the T-shapedcross-section being composed of a crosspiece base with an outstandingflange and the hooked portion having an upper point, the toolingincluding at least one lower offset, generally horizontal guiding fingeradapted to fit on one side of the rail anchor in firm engagement withthe lower surface of the crosspiece base, a rear generally verticalabutting surface adapted to engage and position the outstanding flangeof the anchor at the curved hooked portion, spaced generally parallel,generally vertical stabilizing surfaces adapted to fit on each side ofthe outstanding flange, and a detent on top to releasably engage thepoint, the guiding finger, vertical abutting surface and stabilizingsurfaces all being rigidly interconnected.
 9. The structure of claim 8further characterized in that the stabilizing surfaces include a pair ofspaced apart upper fingers adapted to straddle the upper point of thehooked portion.
 10. In a machine for applying rail anchors to the railsof railroad track, a frame adapted to be moved along the railroad track,a chute on the frame for guiding anchors by gravity to a supply stationat the lower end of the chute, a gate on the chute at the supply stationconstructed to yieldably and releasably hold a rail anchor inpredetermined position, an anchor attaching mechanism on the frameconstructed to enter the gate to pick up a rail anchor at the supplystation and to apply it to the base of the rail, and means causing thegate to automatically open and release an anchor positioned in thesupply station in response to entrance of the anchor attaching mechanisminto the gate.
 11. The structure of claim 10 further characterized inthat the gate includes a pair of pivoted doors with camming surfaces onthe front thereof responsive to entrance of the attaching means andconstructed to pivot apart allowing the attaching means to engage andpick up the rail anchor positioned between the doors.
 12. In a machinefor applying rail anchors to the base flange of railroad track, a devicefor grasping rail anchors and applying them in a lateral motion to therail base, a hydraulic circuit for moving the device through apredetermined coordinate of movements, including means for moving thedevice from an elevated position down to a position adjacent the edge ofthe rail base offset laterally somewhat to one side, means for movingthe device longitudinally until the rail anchor engages the side of atie, and automatic means for moving the device laterally inwardly toapply the rail anchor to the rail base in response to a predeterminedamount of longitudinal pressure between the anchor and side of the tieand for maintaining such pressure therebetween during the lateralmovement resulting in the rail anchor being in firm contact with theside of the tie after it is applied to the rail base.
 13. The structureof claim 12 further characterized by and including a single handlecontrol constructed to be moved through a predetermined path incontrolling and operating the hydraulic circuit which simulates the pathof movement of the device when it is applying rail anchors to the railbase.